Two subsidiaries of Nobel Biocare Holding AG, a world leader in the field of innovative implant-based dental restorations, filed a patent infringement lawsuit today in California against Neodent USA, Inc., alleging infringement of two patents relating to the innovative design of Nobel Biocare’s popular NobelActive line of dental implants.
In March 2014, Neodent USA launched its line of “Drive CM” dental implants in the U.S. In its complaint, Nobel Biocare alleges that these implants, imported from Brazil, have striking similarities to the design of the NobelActive implants, which Nobel Biocare commercially launched in 2008. Further, Nobel Biocare asserts that Neodent USA has relied on Nobel Biocare’s history of successful clinical data in marketing the Neodent product.
The NobelActive line has grown to become one of the world’s most popular dental impants, supported by Nobel Biocare’s commitment to research and development spending, extensive clinical studies, and training programs for clinicians. Both U.S. patents asserted in the lawsuit relate to technology for aiding the surgical installation and successful integration of the implants in a variety of patient bone types. Nobel Biocare asks the court for an injunction barring sales of Neodent’s infringing dental implants, payment of money damages due to Nobel Biocare’s lost sales, and to recover its attorney fees for the lawsuit.
Richard Laube, Nobel Biocare’s CEO, commented, “We are committed to enforcing our valuable intellectual property rights, which are the result of our industry-leading investment in [research and development]. We will not tolerate copies of our unique and patented dental implant designs.”
